Jeff McNeill has never been here before.
Mets manager Carlos Mendoza again removed McNeil from the starting lineup Tuesday night after the team’s 4-2 loss to the Marlins at Citi Field.
McNeil briefly returned to the lineup during the Mets’ 6-5 win over the Phillies in London on Sunday, going 2-for-4 after missing the previous four games.
The Mets have faced four straight left-handed starters in the four games that McNeil has been on the bench, and he returned to the plate Sunday against right-hander Taijuan Walker.
And on Tuesday, with left-hander Jesus Luzardo on the mound, McNeil was back on the bench.
Jose Iglesias started at second base instead.
“It’s something we’re not really used to,” McNeil told The Post after the game, “but our team has played well this past week. We’ve been working on some things and had a good game the other day, so we’re going to try and do our best tomorrow.”
Mendoza said despite appearances, it’s not just a left-wing and right-wing group.
“No, not really,” Mendoza said before Tuesday’s game. “I talked to him knowing we were going to be facing two lefties in the first two games of the series. I said, ‘You’re going to play one.’ We’ve got Iglesias, who played well against lefties today, and Jeff is likely going to play.” [Wednesday] For lefties.”
But McNeil got his chance on Tuesday.
In the top of the seventh, trailing 3-2 with a runner on first and one out, McNeil came in to pinch-hit for Iglesias with Marlins right-hander Anthony Bender on the mound.
But the Marlins then replaced Bender with left-hander Andrew Nardi, and McNeil promptly struck out.
Mendoza previously said he was resting McNeil between those four games to “work on some things,” later acknowledging the rest was “mental.”
“Good relationship [with Mendoza]”They keep telling me I want to be myself, I’m just trying to get that back,” McNeil said.
McNeil started the season with a dismal batting average of .231, on-base percentage of .298, slugging percentage of .322 and an OPS of .620.
It was only two years ago that he won the batting title, and he finished the 2022 season with a .326 batting average, .382 on-base percentage, .454 slugging percentage and .836 OPS.
But it retreated last year and has plummeted this year.
Meanwhile, Iglesias is batting .435 with a .480 on-base percentage, .522 slugging percentage and a 1.022 OPS in 25 at-bats.
He had one hit and was hit by pitch in one at-bat on Tuesday.
According to FanGraphs, 40 percent of his batted balls are pull balls, a career-high, and 20 percent of his batted balls are liners, a career-low.
McNeil has actually performed better against lefties than righties, averaging .265 against lefties and just .214 against righties.
“I’m the kind of guy who, even when I became the leadoff hitter, I was hitting below .200 for a month,” McNeil said. “I’m always open to starting again.”
